by Geryl Ogilvy Ruekeith, reporters@theborneopost.com.
Posted on May 3, 2012, Thursday
KUCHING: The introduction of the RM800 minimum wage in the private sector here will certainly raise the income of employees and improve their standard of living, opined Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
He also believes with the enforcement of the minimum wage ruling, the country will be able to have a pay structure similar to those in developed nations.
This in turn, he said, would bring the country closer to achieving its Vision 2020 to be a high income society, he said when officiating at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth Armada ‘Humanitarian Mission’ here on Tuesday.
“We must possess the aspiration to leap our development programmes higher by the day so that our struggle will be more intense. The youths being future hopes to catapult this struggle must ensure bigger development impact for the people.
“In this modern day society we should not aim for only RM800. What we want is RM3,000 to RM4,000. Or even RM5,000 if possible. This all depends on our boldness to take action and shoulder the responsibilities to ensure that this will become a reality,” advised Taib in his speech at the event held at the Kuching Waterfront.
Also present amongst the 500 PBB youths in attendance were state Barisan Nasional Youth chief Datuk Fadillah Yusof who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister, PBB senior vice-president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, vice-president Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman and State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar.
The PBB president added that poverty eradication had always been the main objective and struggle of the party.
“We must not let our people continue to live in poverty and this should be the core of our struggle,” he continued.
Turning to the crowd, Taib reminded that PBB youths were always taught the spirit of serving voluntarily and to be close to the community as much as possible.
“We must be able to understand the needs of the people and always enquire about their problems. Only then we will be effective in championing the rights of the people. It may be enquiring about the needs of the mosques or even churches, we must serve all,” he stressed.
Saying that he had every confidence that the new generation would be able to continue the struggle of their predecessors, Taib told the youths that he had put in place a good organisation, strong political party, good leaders and commendable programmes to train them to be future leaders.
“The struggle of the youths today is to continue the existing government policies to uphold the development of the people, which is possible given the will,” he said.
In conjunction with the Labour Day, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the minimum wage for workers in the peninsula had been set at RM900 a month or RM4.33 per hour, while for the state, Sabah and Labuan it would be RM800 per month or RM3.85 an hour.
The minimum wage would cover workers in all sectors of the economy except for domestic helpers or maids, gardeners and those in similar employment categories.
The minimum wage will take effect six months from the date the minimum wage order is gazetted.
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